Prediction of cutting forces and machining error in ball end milling of curved surfaces -II experimental verification

This paper presents the results of a series of experiments performed to examine the validity of a theoretical model for evaluation of cutting forces and machining error in ball end milling of curved surfaces. The experiments are carried out at various cutting conditions, for both contouring and ramping of convex and concave surfaces. A high precision machining center is used in the cutting tests. In contouring, the machining error is measured with an electric micrometer, while in ramping it is measured on a 3-coordinate measuring machine. The results show that in contouring, the cutting force component that influences the machining error decreases with an increase in milling position angle, while in ramping, the two force components that influence the machining error are hardly affected by the milling position angle. Moreover, in contouring, high machining accuracy is achieved in “Up cross-feed, Up cut” and “Down cross-feed, Down cut” modes, while in ramping, high machining accuracy is achieved in “Left cross-feed, Downward cut” and “Right cross-feed, Upward cut” modes. The theoretical and experimental results show reasonably good agreement.     

Simulation of rubber isostatic pressing and shape optimization of rubber mold

An elastic–plastic FEM is developed to study the fundamental features of rubber isostatic pressing of powder with a view to performing a net-shape process. Experiments are also performed. It is thus shown that the properties of the rubber, in particular Poisson's ratio, give a great influence on the shape of compact and density distribution. The thickness of the rubber mold is also influential; the thicker the mold, the closer is the shape of compact to the cavity shape. An optimization scheme is also developed, so that one is able to determine the cavity shape that gives a desired shape of compact.     

Flow around a cubic body immersed in a turbulent boundary layer

This paper reports the results of an experiment concerning flow in the vicinity of a cubic body immersed in a turbulent boundary layer which is fully developed along a tunnel floor. By changing the flow direction and body height, measurements were made of the pressure and drag acting on the body, and of the flow pattern and pressure distribution on the floor. The results indicate the changes taking place in the pressure distribution over the surface of a cubic body, the pressure drag acting on it, and the flow pattern and pressure distribution over the floor surface as the angle of incidence α is varied.     

Tree colonization trends on a sediment bar after a major flood

Tree mortality and regeneration in riparian areas are greatly influenced by flooding. The elevational distribution of Salix spp. and Robinia pseudoacacia were investigated by observing densities and standing conditions before and after a major flood on a sediment bar in the middle reaches of the Arakawa River in Kumagaya, Japan. The subsequent tree recruitment was also examined. R. pseudoacacia was easily washed away with the eroded sediment, whereas Salix spp. was found to be more tolerant. Both species were able to survive even after collapsing, provided that their roots were fully or partially embedded in the sediment. Re‐shooting of collapsed trees, rather than emergence from saplings (either by seeds or vegetative fragments), was observed to be the major method of recruitment after the flood. Therefore, tree density before the flood was unchanged, unless the trees were subject to washing away. Salix spp. recruitment was mainly observed in low‐lying areas and R. pseudoacacia in elevated areas. Recruitment from saplings was species‐specific. Salix spp. at high elevations originated mainly from shoot fragments as they need high levels of moisture for seed germination and at higher elevations, sediment moisture content is very low. R. pseudoacacia, on other hand, originated mainly from roots and seeds. At a given elevation, past recruitment patterns indicated that the annual recruitment of trees increased with tree density up to a particular threshold of recruitment density. Further increases in tree density beyond that optimum value resulted in a decline in recruitment. Furthermore, threshold density was observed to increase along with elevation for R. pseudoacacia while declining with Salix spp. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of treatment of activated carbon fiber cloth electrodes with cold plasma upon performance of electric double-layer capacitors

Charge/discharge behavior of electric double-layer capacitors composed of activated carbon fiber cloth (ACFC) electrodes and an organic electrolyte was investigated. The modification of the ACFC electrodes was performed using cold plasma generated in argon-oxygen atmosphere. The effect of the cold plasma treatment of the ACPC electrodes on the capacitor performance was discussed on the basis of the physical and chemical properties of the ACFC surface such as pore radius distribution and surface atom concentration.     

Regression analysis of amino acid substitutions and factor IX activity in hemophilia B

Hemophilia B is caused by a deficit or decreased activity of factor IX. Mutation in factor IX is made up of a majority of amino acid substitutions. We examined the relation between the activation level of factor IX and the category of amino acid substitution with regression analysis. As parameters, we used four physical-chemical parameters of amino acids and Dayhoff’s PAM matrix. In addition, the average of the activation level with the same amino acid substitution was used for the analysis. We analyzed the relationship between variations containing cysteine or factor IX’s seven regions and activity levels. This work was presented in part at the 13th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 31–February 2, 2008     

Fabrication of Nanocomposite Ceramics by Crystallization of Rapidly Solidified Eutectic Melts

Eutectic melt solidification is shown to avoid cracking during solidification by quenching an amorphous phase. Subsequent annealing results in micro/nanostructure ceramics. This strategy has been applied to HfO₂–Al₂O₃–GdAlO₃ and Y₂O₃–CaO–Al₂O₃ ternary systems that have deep eutectics. In most cases, ceramic materials cracks when they are solidified from melt due to the thermal stress accumulated on the grain boundaries, the large specific volume difference between the melt and the crystalline solid, etc. The main reason why this strategy works is that a eutectic composition yields an amorphous phase from the melts by rapid cooling and the amorphous phase enables to design crystallization without cracking by postannealing. Appropriate postannealing for the quenched amorphous enables to control the crystallization behavior from the amorphous phase, which yields nanostructured composites without cracking. For the HfO₂–Al₂O₃–GdAlO₃ case, the melt solidification and postannealing yields a nanocomposite with high transparency due to reduced scattering of 5–10 nm crystallites. For the Y₂O₃–CaO–Al₂O₃ case, a plate-shaped bulk composite is obtained without cracking by molding the melt and postannealing.     

Synthesis,properties, and solid-state assemblies of β-alkyl-substituted dipyrrolyldiketone BF2 complexes

In this paper, the synthesis and solid-state structures of β-alkyl-substituted dipyrrolyldiketone BF₂ complexes are discussed; these complexes can function as π-conjugated acyclic anion receptors (“molecular flippers”) and are potential building subunits of anion-responsive π-conjugated oligomers or polymers. Modes of the solid-state assemblies in these complexes determined by performing single-crystal X-ray analysis are found to depend on the lengths of the alkyl chains at the β-positions. A β-methyl-substituted receptor has a highly planar structure, which efficiently forms stacking assemblies in the core π-plane in the solid state, while a β-ethyl-substituted receptor shows no stacking assemblies due to the presence of bulky ethyl moieties, which form only dimeric structures by hydrogen bonding. β-Alkyl-substituted anion receptors can be used not only as monomer units of stimuli-responsive polymeric macromolecules but also as components of solid-state electronic materials.